Ocean-going barge



United States Patent [72] Inventor Edwin H. Fletcher 1,426,990 8/1922 Johnson l l4/43.5X 218 W. Church St.,Jacksonville, Fla. 3,370,564 2/1968 Archer et a1 1 14/77 32202 Primary ExammerTrygve M. Blix [2]] Appl. No. 852,732 Filed g 969 Attorneys George H. Baldwin and Arthur G. Yeager [45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 588,162, Oct. 20, 1966, now Patent No. ABSTRACT: An oceangoing barge comprising a skegless hull having a full ships bow section, sidewalls, a stern and a [54] OCEANGOING BARGE generally flat bottom with a portion thereof forward of the 14 Claims 8 Drawing Figs stern sloping upwardly toward the stem. The barge further includes a spaced pair of stem wings extending longitudinally US. Cl rearwardly from the tem of the barge each wing includ- 114/26 ing smooth, continuous and unbroken inner and outer walls [51] Int. Cl B63b 21/00 which extend downwardly into the water a distance generally Fleld oi'Search l into the plane of the barge bottom The uter walls being sub. 235, 26, 77 stantially parallel to and disposed in substantial alignment with 56 R f d and constituting aftward extensions of the respective sidewalls 1 e erences of the barge. The inner walls being substantially parallel to UNITED STATES PATENTS respective outer walls and being spaced apart to define 372,761 I II] 887 Palmer l14/43.5X therebetween a protected water area aft of the barge stern.

} PATENTED 052291970 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. Edwin H Flezcker ATTORNEY OCEAN-GOING BARGE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my previously filed application Ser. No. 588,162, filed Oct. 20, 1966 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,495 and entitled SELECTIVELY CON- NECTABLE BOAT AND BARGE.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to an oceangoing barge or offshore barge, and more particularly to an oceangoing barge having a full ship's bow and modified ships stern. In greater detail the invention relates to an oceangoing barge having stern wings or wing walls extending generally longitudinally rearwardly from its stern wall and which extend beneath the water for the purpose of providing course-keeping characteristics, and which offer much less resistance to movement of the barge through the water than prior known arrangements and permit higher speed ratios for such oceangoing barges. Additionally the in vention disclosed herein is concerned with an oceangoing barge which has a relatively low resistance to movement through the water, excellent course-keeping ability and excellent tracking characteristics, all as compared with other wellknown barges of the prior art.

2. Description of the Prior Art The generally known offshore or oceangoing barge of today is provided with and requireslarge skegs and a blunt bow section or front end portion to move successfully through the water. The blunt bow usually requires heavy bow structures which are disadvantageous to movement through the water, and at times this type bow results in structural failures during adverse weather operations, particularly at desirable speeds. The normal barge skegs, which are necessary in offshore barge operations to maintain course stability, add to or increase the hull resistance tremendously. To obtain directional stability in the usual offshore or deep sea barge, the forefoot thereof has been out of the water well back of the barge hull. As a result of this, the sections are broad and shallow which often result in slamming and structural failures in heavy seas and result in loss of speed. In addition to this, antiyaw skegs have been provided and must be fitted into every offshore and oceangoing barge. These skegs usually require horsepower increases of at least 25 percent, or if this is not done they will steal in the neiighbnrhdorlnof: IQ percent or more in the speed obtainable with the same power. It has'often been estimated that re sistance to drag of these skegs is in the neighborhood of from 30 percent to 35 percent overthe resistance offered by the bare hull.

Some of the present day offshore or oceangoing barges have been tried in which the skegs have been entirely eliminated in favor of radio controlled rudders, but the disadvantage of these is that hydraulic power units are required on the tug or barge to operate the steering engine, and other features thereof make for a complicated arrangement.

While inland barges have been generally disclosed in the prior art, few true oceangoingor offshore barges have been previously devised or disclosed. Prior art arrangements of the first above-mentioned type might be considered to be generally disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 20,944, 2,359,549, 2,715,380 and 3,035,536. Applicant's invention of an improved oceangoing or offshore barge disclosed herein is an improvement over such prior art arrangements or barges, as might be considered to be shown, for example, in the above mentioned patents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved hull construction for an oceangoing or offshore barge.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved oceangoing or offshore barge which has a relatively low re sistance to movement through the water, excellent coursekeeping ability, and excellenttracking characteristics, all as compared with well-known barges and arrangements as disclosed in the prior art, and without employing the usual and required large barge skegs of prior known arrangements.

In general these objects are attained by providing an oceangoing barge which includes a pair of spaced stern wings extending generally longitudinally rearwardly from the stern wall of the barge a distance of at least more than 5 percent of the length of the barge as measured along the centerline of the barge, and which are generally in alignment with the respective sides of the barge. The stem wings extend downwardly into the water a distance generally into the plane of the barge bottom and are adapted and arranged to provide directional stability to the barge when the barge is being pulled through the water.

The offshore or oceangoing barge of this invention achieves directional stability and maintains excellent tracking characteristics without the usual and required large barge skegs of the prior and generally known oceangoing barge, and the resultant losses from these skegs, and furthermore without a complicated arrangement of rudders and the like. Moreover the stern wings or wall configurations of the offshore or oceangoing barge of this invention is adaptable and will perform with a barge having a full ship's seagoing bow section or bow configuration which results in greater speed, such speeds being especially attainable in high seas and under adverse weather conditions. Additionally the stern wings or wing wall configurations disclosed herein are readily adaptable to and usable with all oceangoing or offshore barges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the improved oceangoing barge of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the oceangoing barge of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial side view of another embodiment of the improved oceangoing barge of this invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the right rear portion of the oceangoing barge of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modified form of the oceangoing barge of-this invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing another embodiment of the oceangoing barge of this invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged internal elevational view of the left rear portion of another embodiment of the oceangoing barge ofthis invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION or THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With detailed reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the improved oceangoing barge 10 of this invention, is seen therein to include a forward end portion. or bow 12, a pair of sidewalls l4 and 16 and a stem or rearward end portion 18. Barge I0 is of the oceangoing type designed for offshore operations and often is of a length of from approximately 300 to 500 feet and more. This type of barge is built and designed for operation in heavy seas, and as depicted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, may be designed and outfitted for-a container operation in which the goods or freight are sealed and carried within containers 20, although barge 10 could be readily suitable for and adaptable to a bulk or other type of freight operation.

The improved oceangoing barge 10 of this invention may be readily pulled by a hawser behind a tug (these features not being shown) or the same may be readily pushed by an oceangoing tug, as at 22. Barge is provided with a notch or open bottom well 24 within its stern portion 18 to receive the forward end portion 23 of tug 22 for pushing of the barge. Open bottom well 24 includes a pair of opposed sidewalls 26 and 28. Connecting means 30 are provided between the forward end portion 23 of tug 22 and the sidewalls 26 and 28 of open bottom well 24 for pivotally connecting tug 22 to barge 10 where the same is to be pushed by the tug. Connecting means 30 can be provided on forward end portion 23 of tug 22 and extend I into the opposed sidewalls 26 and 28 open bottom well 24 or connecting means 30 may be provided on the opposed sidewalls 26 and 28 of open bottom well 24 and extend into the forward end portion-23 of tug 22, or portions of the connecting means 30 may be provided on both the tug and the sidewalls of the open bottom well.

The forward end portion or bow 12 of oceangoing barge 10 is a full ships bow or a bow of the full ships type having a bluntly pointed or roundly pointed forward edge or end portion 32 which extends deep into the water. Bluntly pointed forward edge or end portion 32 extends downward in a generally upright or vertical fashion into the water down to the general plane of the barge bottom 34, joining the same at its lower end 36, as depicted in FIG. 2. The full ships bow or forward end portion 12 is designed to cut through or slice the water, break or separate the waves to provide relatively low resistance to movement of barge 10 through the water as compared to oceangoing barges of the prior art. The full ships bow 12 of barge 10 does not require the heavy bow structures of the heretofore known oceangoing barges which are built with blunt front end portions and which are disadvantageous to movement through the water, particularly at desirable speeds. Full ships bow 12 of the improved oceangoing barge greatly reduces and substantially eliminates the slamming caused by high seas and encountered under adverse weather conditions by heretofore-known deep sea barges having a blunt forward end portion or'bow, and additionally greatly reduces the loss in speed resulting from such slamming encountered with previously known oceangoing barges.

The stem or rearward end portion 18 of the oceangoing barge 10 has a stern wall 40 which extends generally across the width of the barge, and from which open bottom well 24 extends forwardly thereof into the body of barge 10. The pair of opposed sidewalls 26 and 28 of open bottom well 24 are merely forward extensions of stem wall 40 which meet at a forward point or apex 42 to generally form open bottom well 24 into which the forward end portion 23 of tug 22 may be received.

The rearward end portion 44 of bottom 34 slopes generally upward throughout that portion of the barge encompassed by open bottom well 24 and forward thereof, as depicted in FIG. 2, such that when barge 10 is pushed in a forward direction 46, there exists a uniform and high velocity water movement within open bottom well 24 and rearwardly adjacent of stem wall 40, which, when presented to tug 22, aids in the propulsive efficiency of the pivotally connected tug which efficiency is imparted to the two-unit combination.

Additionally the stem or rearward end portion 18 of barge 10 includes a pair of spaced, generally parallel stern wings or fixed wing wall skegs 48 and 50 extending forward and rearward from stem wall 40 of the barge and from the general plane of the barge deck 52 downward into the water to a depth generally into the plane of the barge bottom 34. Wing wall 48 includes anouter generally upright surface 54 and an inner generally upright surface 56, while wing wall 50 includes an inner generally upright surface 58 and an outer generally upright surface 60. Wing walls 48 and 50 form a sheltered or protected water area there between 62 for sheltering and protecting tug 22 and in particular forward end portion 23 thereof when the same is positioned within open bottom well 24 and water area 62 and pivotallyconnected to the barge by means of connecting means 30 extending therebetween. Outer surfaces 54 and 60 of respective wing walls 48 and 50 are in essence rearward extensions and continuations of respective barge sides or surfaces 14 and 16. The inner and outer walls or surfaces, 54, 56, 58, and 60 of wing walls 48 and 50 are all substantially parallel one to another. The extended stern wings 48 and 50 of barge 10 give extreme directional stability to the wake flow of the barge, the effect of which is to greatly enhance the efficiency of'the propellers of 'the tub by producing a more unified and stabilized wake flow to the same. I 1

Stern wings 48 and 50 extend de'eplydownward into the water in a generally upright vertical fashion to meet the'extension 64 of barge bottom 34 in the. general plane thereof as at reference numeral 66 of wing wall 50 as depicted in FIG. 2. Thus it will be seen that the wing walls or stem wings 48 and 50 are constructed to afford extreme directional stability, good tracking ability and superior course keeping characteristics to barge 10, and additionally to provide a protected and safe area for tug 22 and its crew during high or rough seas. When barge 10 is towed behind a tug on a towline or hawser, rearwardly extending stern wings 48 and 50 provide the barge with extremely good course-keeping characteristics and directional stability without the use of additional large barge skegs which have been heretofore required on the other types of previously known deep sea or oceangoing barges, thereby stabilizing barge 10 without the added resistance to forward movement of the barge through the water as would be imparted by the usual and previously required barge skegs.

Respective inner and outer walls or surfaces 56, 58 and 54, 60 of respective rearwardly extending wings 48 and 50 are substantially parallel and continuous and smooth, at least throughout the underwater portions thereof, whereby the flow of water along walls of the wings is nonturbulent. If the wing walls are not substantially parallel to the direction of water flow therealong, the water will break away from the walls thereby causing undesirable turbulence and reducing or destroying the directional stabilizing effect of the wings and of course increasing drag. The maximum permissible angle of a wall or surface to the direction of water flow to avoid turbulence is related to the relative speed of the vessel through the water but this angle should be no more than 5 or 6 at the very most. Such small angles though are herein intended to be included in the term substantially parallel.

Each of stem wings 48 and 50 extend rearward of barge stern wall 40 to respective end terminations 68 and 70. Each of these terminations 68 and 70 is a full radius termination, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at the rearward ends of wing walls 48 and 50. The length of rearwardly extending stern wings 48 and 50 between stern wall 40 and end terminations 68 and 70 varies with and is dependent upon the overall length of barge 10. The length of the stern, wings 48 and 50 will usually vary between a lower length of from about 6 to 7 percent of the;

barge length to an upper length of from about 9 to 10 percent of the length of barge l0, and preferably at least 5 percent. As an example of this, the stern wings on a typical barge of say 300 feet in length might be from 20 to 30 feet long, and the typical length of the stern wings on a barge having a length of 500 feet might be between 30 and 40 feet.

The width and taper of wing walls 48 and 50 is dependent upon and varies with the beam of barge 10 and can also be a function of the beam of the tug 22. Typically the width of the stern wings 48 and 50 could be a minimum of 5 or 6 feet and could range up to a maximum of about 10 to 12 feet in width,. all depending upon the barge and tug beams. As an example off this, the width of stern wings 48 and 50 on a typical barge of 500 feet in length could be anywhere from 6 to 12 feet, and; stem wings on a 300-foot barge could be from about a minimum of about 5 feet up to a maximum of about 10 feet in width.

proper 34 of barge 10 in a gradual upward curve to meet the generally upright or vertical end wall or end termination 76 at or just below the waterline 78. In this manner the embodiment of the oceangoing barge 10, shown in FIG. 3, including stern wings similar to that shown at reference numeral 72, can be beached with the bow or front end portion thereof being brought up to or adjacent the shoreline while the rear end portion or stem including the stern wings thereof remain somewhat ofi shore, the stern wings being spaced from the shoreline a distance approximately equal to the length of barge 10. During the beaching operation the bow or front end portion of barge will be slightly raised or elevated while the stem or rearward end portion will be slightly lowered or depressed, but because of the sloping configuration of stern wings, as at 74, the same will not become grounded on the ocean floor. Whereas, if the stern wing configuration was that as depicted in FIG. 2 there would be a great chance or likelihood that the stern wings would bump, dig into and become grounded on the ocean bottom during a beaching operation.

The end terminations, such as 68, 70 and 76 of respective stern wings 48, 50 and 72, may vary in plan view from the full radius configuration having a smoothly curved portion throughout, as shown in FIG. 1. These end terminations or end walls of the stern wings can take different forms as evidenced by the terminations shown on the stern wings depicted in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. In FIG. 4 stern wing 80 is shown having an end termination 82 with a modified radii configuration, having a generally flat center portion 84 which is generally perpendicular to the sidewalls or surfaces of stem wing 80 and rounded or radius corners 86 and 88. In FIG. 5 another stern wing 90 is depicted having an end termination 92 with a square or butt end configuration, which includes a flat portion 94 extending entirely across stern wing 90 and being generally perpendicular to the sides or outer surfaces thereof and sharp generally right-angled outer corners 96 and 98 which tend to break and separate the water adjacent the rearward end of stern wing 90 as oceangoing barge 10 moves forward in the body of water. Another stern wing 100 is shown in FIG. 6 and includes an end termination 102, which is of a reverse radius configuration having a smoothly curved portion 104 extending across stern wing 100 and sharp acute angle corners 106 and 108 formed by curved portion 104 and the sides or outer surfaces of stern wing 100. Stern wing end termination 102 of FIG. 6 will break, separate and part the waters adjacent the rearward end of stem wing 100 to a greater degree than the square or butt end termination 92 of wing wall 90 (FIG. 5), thus creating greater turbulence adjacent the outer ends of the stern wings of a barge provided with stern wings and stem wing end terminations as depicted in FIG. 6. The design configuration of the particular stern wing end termination employed and used on a particular oceangoing barge, such as barge 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, is dependent upon a complete evaluation of the hydrodynamics involved in the particular case of each barge, and the use to which the barge is to be put; some of the parameters to be considered would include the design of the barge bow, the length and beam of the barge and the length and beam of the tug if the barge 10 is to be designed to be pushed by an oceangoing tug as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As has been pointed out hereinbefore, the respective sidewalls or surfaces of any given stern wing, such as sidewalls 54 and 56 of stem wing 48 and side surfaces 58 and 60 of stem wing 50, are generally designed and constructed to be parallel one to another but may be tapered or angled with respect to each other in a longitudinal direction up to a maximum of about 5 to 7. Additionally a respective pair of sidewalls of any given stern wing, as an example sidewalls 58 and 60 of stem wing 50 are generally parallel to each other in the transverse direction of a cross section taken through the stern wing, but they may be, if so desired, angled one to the other such that the bottom or lower end portion of the stern wing is narrower or of a thinner dimension than the top or upper portion thereof and the top or upper portion of the stern wing is thicker or of a larger width dimension than the bottom or lower portion of the stern wing. The tapering or angling of the sides of a stern wing in the transverse direction can be varied from 0 up to about 14 depending upon engineering and hydrodynamic considerations in the design of the particular stern wing and the barge with which it is to be employed.

As an example of this tapering and varying of the sides of a stern wing in a transverse direction, a further embodiment of a stern wing to be employed on an oceangoing barge having a full ships bow is depicted in H65. 7 and 8. The stem wing 110 of FIGS. 7 and 8 includes a top wall 112, a bottom wall R14, an end termination 1116 above the waterline of a full radius configuration and an airfoil-type tapering section 113 below the waterline on the interior and rearward end portion of stern wing 110. Stern wing 110 additionally includes an outer wall or surface and an inner wall or surface 122. The end termination 1124 of stern wing 1110 below the waterline is in the configuration of a smooth curve representing the rearward edge of airfoil type section 118, see in particular FIG. 8. The employment of airfoil type section 118 on stern wing 110 offers less resistance to forward movement of the oceangoing barge through the water thus permitting the at tainment of higher speeds particularly in rough seas, while still imparting to the oceangoing barge high stability, vastly improved tracking ability and generally exceptional overall course-keeping characteristics without employing the previously needed and required large barge skegs which imparted a high degree of drag and resistance to movement of an oceangoing barge through the water.

In practicing the invention disclosed herein, which permits the elimination of the previously used, necessary and required large barge skegs which add a great deal of resistance and drag to a barge being moved through the open seas, which permits the employment and use of a full ships bow on an oceangoing barge, and which results in an ocean-going barge readily moved through the seas by either towing or pushing and having extremely good stability, tracking ability and course-keeping characteristics, it should be remembered, that the particular design of the stern wings for any given barge is dependent upon a consideration of the complete hydrodynamics involved with the given barge and on the use or employment of the barge. The consideration and evaluation should extend to at least the following variables, among others, design of the barge bow, the length and beam of the barge, and the length and beam of the tug if the barge is to be pushed through the water by an oceangoing tug.

While only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is intended that all such modifications be included within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Iclaim:

I. In an oceangoing barge adapted to be pushed or pulled through the water comprising a stern wall, a pair of spaced stern wings extending rearwardly from said stern wall and having outer sidewalls generally in alignment with respective sides of said barge, said stern wings extending downwardly to the full draft of said barge for a substantial distance rearwardly of said stern wall and forwardly of said stern wall and forming generally unbroken surfaces throughout the underwater portions with said sidewalls whereby directional stability is provided to said barge when said barge is being pulled through the water.

2. In the oceangoing barge as defined in claim 1 further comprising a full ships bow section to permit said barge to readily cut through the water and part the: waves of the ocean.

3. In the oceangoing barge as defined in claim 1 wherein said pair of longitudinally extending, spaced stern wings are generally parallel.

4. An oceangoing barge comprising a skegless hull including a bow, sidewalls, a stern wall and a generally flat bottom, a portion of said bottom forward of said stern wall sloping upwardly toward said stern wall with said stern wall being spaced upwardly from the level of said flat bottom, a pair of spaced stern wings extending forwardly from said stern wall of said barge and having smooth, continuous and unbroken surfaces throughout underwater portions which extend between the load waterline to at least substantially the level of said bottom of said barge, said stern wing portions having outer walls substantially parallel and disposed in substantial alignment with and constituting aftward extensions of the respective sidewalls of said barge, said stern wings providing directional stability to said barge when said barge is pulled through the water.

5. In the oceangoing barge as defined in claim 4 wherein said stern wings extend rearwardly of said stern wall and downwardly to at least substantially the level of said bottom of said barge, said stern wing portions having inner walls spaced apart to define therebetween a protected water area aft of said stern wall.

6. The oceangoing barge in accord with claim 5 wherein said stern of said barge includes an open bottom well extending forwardly of said stern wall and in communication with said area between said wings, said wings having respective upper portions which are spaced apart and which extend above the load waterline, said area and said well being adapted and arranged to receive the forward end portion of a tug therein.

7. The oceangoing barge in accord with claim 6 wherein said opened bottom well includes a pair of opposed sidewalls, said sidewalls of said well including means for connecting thereto the forward end portion of a tug adapted to be disposed therebetween.

a. The oceangoing barge as defined in claim 5 wherein said inner wall of said underwater portions of each said stern wing is respectively substantially parallel to said-outer wall of said underwater portion of each said stern wing.

9. The oceangoing barge as defined in claim 7 wherein the distance between said inner wall and the respective outer wall of said underwater portion of each said stern wing as measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal center line of each said stern wing is at least 5 feet and less than feet.

10. The oceangoing barge as defined in claim 4 wherein said bow is a full ship s bow section to permit said barge to readily cut through the water and part the waves of the ocean.

11. The oceangoing barge as defined in claim 5 wherein said inner wall of said underwater portions of each said stern wing includes an airfoil section, each said airfoil section including a smooth outwardly facing curved wall facing said protected water area and extending from a narrow trailing edge closely adjacent the rearward edge portion of respective said stern wing forwardly to join with the forward portion of said stern wing inner wall, said airfoil sections being adapted and arranged to provide said barge with decreased resistance to forward movement through the water whereby said barge may attain higher speeds.

12. In an oceangoing barge adapted to be pushed or pulled through the water comprising a stern wall, a pair of spaced stern wings extending rearwardly from said stern wall and having outer sidewalls generally in alignment with respective sides of said barge, said stern wings extending downwardly into the water a distance generally into the plane of the barge bottom, said stern wings providing directional stability to said barge when said barge is being pulled through the water, means defining an opened bottom well within said stern wall and extending generally forwardly of said stern wall, said well being adapted and arranged to receive the bow of a tug therein for thrust connection to said barge.

13. In the oceangoing barge as defined in claim 12 wherein said pair of longitudinally extending, spaced stern wings are generally parallel and extend rearwardly from said stern wall and are in general alignment with said respective sides of said barge, said stern wings extending rearwardly and terminating along the sides of a tug when the tug bow is disposed between said stern wings in pushing relationship with said barge.

14. in the oceangoing barge as defined in claim 4 wherein said stern wing ortions includes inner walls spaced apart sufficiently to free y receive therebetween the ow of a thrust connected tug with a beam width thereof being less than the spacing between said inner walls.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 550 Dated December 29, 1970 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 45, after "he" insert designed to be Claim 9, line 35, the numeral "7" should read 8 SIGNED MD SEALED 161971 mulls. saml. aa- Offieer 1m 02mm: 

